The numbers show there is finally a downward trend in communcal incidents in the Coastal districts. According to a report prepared by Karnataka Communal Harmony Forum, there has been a 34 per cent reduction in communal incidents this year as compared to last.

The study report ‘A Chronicle of Communal Incidents in the Coastal Districts of Karnataka’ also makes some intersting observations.

Suresh Bhat B, district president of the forum says this year though there was a sharp rise in the number of hate speeches/messages, a majority of them being on the social media. The Assembly elections saw the Congress suffering a total rout at the hands of BJP in Udupi while it managed to snatch just one seat in Dakshina Kannada. It can be observed from the records that there was a significant rise in the number of communal incidents in the twin districts just before and during the course of the election campaign. Obviously, the object was to harvest votes through polarisation along communal lines. Caste equations also played their part, he said.

Out of a total of 85 communal incidents reported, 11 were incidents of moral policing allegedly by Hindu vigilantes, three allegedly by Muslim vigilantes and one incident by others. There were two incidents related to allegations of religious conversion, seven incidents of cattle vigilantism and 26 incidents of hate speech, six incidents of attacks / desecration of places of worship and about 29 other communal incidents.

There was a sharp rise in the number of hate messages, a majority of them being on the social media

–Suresh Bhat B, K’taka Communal Forum

In 2010, the total number of communal incidents was 73. About 87 cases were reported in 2011, 132 in 2012, 111 in 2013, 173 in 2014, 228 in 2015, 104 in 2016 and 125 incidents in 2017. Regarding moral policing incidents, from 48 were reported in 2015, reduced to 22 each in 2016, and 2017 and 15 cases in 2018.

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